September 10, 2021
Know the Signs and Help Stop Suicides on September 10th
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Suicide remains an alarming problem in the United States. It’s listed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as the 10th leading cause of death in the country. In 2019, suicide was responsible for more than 47,500 deaths. That’s about one death every 11 minutes.
The number of people who are contemplating and trying suicide is even higher. In 2019, the CDC says 12 million American adults seriously thought about killing themselves, 3.5 million planned to commit suicide, and 1.4 million attempted doing it.
To spread awareness about the factors that contribute to suicides, how they can be prevented, and what people can do to address the issue, the International Association for Suicide Prevention and World Health Organization started the annual observance of World Suicide Prevention Day on September 10th, 2003.
What You Can Do to Prevent Suicides
Preventing suicide is undoubtedly a huge challenge, but you can do your part to generate awareness about the problem by sharing information about suicide prevention on World Suicide Prevention Day. Your actions and words are powerful. You don’t need to be a superhero to help people struggling with suicidal thoughts. It may take just a few minutes of your time to listen to a person you think is harboring suicidal thoughts. Hear them out and be a friend to them.
Veteran Car Donations has listed five ways of how you can help people who think hope is lost and the only way out is death.
- Listen to them.
Sometimes, all someone with a troubled mind needs is a pair of listening ears. They need someone they can rant and talk openly to, someone willing to listen to their problems. It’s not that they need advice or your opinion about whatever they’re dealing with, it’s just that they need someone to hear them out.
- Don’t write off their feelings.
Even if a certain problem bugging someone seems insignificant to you, that person doesn’t think as you do. They consider their problem as something huge, even unbearable. Don’t discount their feelings. You’re not in their shoes, so you never know what they’re going through.
- Talk to them about why they’re feeling that way.
Some people don’t like talking about suicide because they’re afraid it will open a can of worms. However, even if they don’t talk about it, the thought of self-inflicted death may still be in their minds. If you think that a person you know harbors such dark thoughts, talk to them. Ask them why they’re feeling that way. Ask them what’s causing it and what they think can help make it go away.
- Encourage them to get help.
Encourage those with suicidal thoughts to get professional help. The earlier they’re able to address the problem, the better they’ll be able to handle it.
- Always let them know that you’re there for them.
Tell them that you’re always there for them when they need you. This will help reinforce their feeling that they’re not alone and that they can always come to you if they need help.
Our Vulnerable Veterans Need Your Help
Suicide remains a major cause for concern among our veterans. Despite increased public awareness and government funding to address the issue, the suicide rate among veterans rose slightly in recent years, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs. The 2020 VA report shows that at least 6,435 veterans committed suicide in 2018. That translates to 17.6 veteran suicides a day — a slight increase from 2017 when the number was 17.5.
However, the latest VA data does not include any veteran suicide figures resulting from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Mental health experts have warned that the pandemic may be causing even bigger increases in the rates of mental distress and self-inflicted harm among veterans.
You have a way of helping veterans who are feeling hopeless and possibly contemplating suicide. Help prevent another life from being lost by simply donating your extra or unneeded vehicle to us at Veteran Car Donations. We’ll use your donation to support former service members in your community who are facing great difficulties in life, including those with mental health disorders.
We’ll have your vehicle auctioned off, with the proceeds distributed to our charity partners. These IRS-certified 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations are dedicated to helping veterans who are homeless, jobless, and suffering from service-connected disabilities and illnesses, including mental health issues.
These nonprofits use the funding that we give them to provide their veteran beneficiaries with free quality health care, financial aid, housing assistance, employment opportunities, family support, educational scholarships, psychotherapy services, and many other benefits.
As our donor, expect to receive valuable rewards. We’ll send you by mail the 100% tax-deductible sales receipt of your vehicle within 30 days after it gets sold. This receipt will entitle you to receive the maximum tax deduction in the next tax season.
We’ll also haul off your car for free at a date and place of your choice. There’s no place in the U.S. where we can’t reach you since we operate throughout the country.
On top of the material rewards you’ll get, your vehicle donation will give you that exquisite feeling of satisfaction, knowing that you’ll be helping uplift the lives of our nation’s suffering heroes.
We accept nearly all types of vehicles. We even take those that have dents, scratches, or defective parts. If you’re uncertain about your car’s qualification for our program, let us know your concerns here and we’ll tell you what we think.
For inquiries, you may give us a call at 877-594-5822. Feel free to visit our FAQs page to learn about our quick and easy donation process and other important details.
Help Build Better Lives for Our Veterans Today!
Photo by Pavel Danilyuk under Pexels License
On World Suicide Prevention Day this September 10th, reach out to the veterans in your community who are grappling with serious challenges in life. Help provide them the opportunities and assistance they need to get back up again. You can easily do that with your vehicle donation. Call Veteran Car Donations at 877-594-5822 or fill out our online donation form now!
Last Updated: March 8th, 2023